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Basilosauridae

Mammalia - Cetacea - Basilosauridae

Taxonomy
Basilosauridae was named by Cope (1867). It was considered paraphyletic by Uhen and Gingerich (2001), Uhen (2004) and Uhen (2008) and Martinez-Cáceres and Muizon (2011).

It was synonymized subjectively with Zeuglodontidae by Mchedlidze (1970).

It was assigned to Zeuglodontia by Gill (1871), Gill (1872) and Gill (1873); to Zeuglodontes by Hay (1902); to Zeuglodonta by Trouessart (1904); to Zeuglodontes by Hay (1930); to Cetacea by Sherman (1952) and Thewissen et al. (2001); to Cetacea by van Vliet (2004); to Archaeoceti by Bouetel and Muizon (2006); to Archaeoceti by Miller (1923), Kellogg (1928), Kellogg (1936), Simpson (1945), Thurmond and Jones (1981), Barnes et al. (1985), Hooker (1986), Carroll (1988), Benton (1993), Fordyce and Barnes (1994), Fordyce et al. (1995), Uhen (1996), Kohler and Fordyce (1997), McKenna and Bell (1997), Bergqvist et al. (1999), Uhen and Gingerich (2001), Fordyce and de Muizon (2001), Rice (2002), Fordyce (2003), Geisler and Sanders (2003), Uhen (2004), Gingerich (2007), McLeod and Barnes (2008), Uhen (2008), Fordyce and Roberts (2009), Fitzgerald (2010), Gingerich (2012), Gingerich and Zouhri (2015), Gingerich (2015) and Gao and Ni (2015); to Basilosauroidea by Rice (1998), Gingerich (2005), Rice (2009), El-kheir et al. (2013) and Mahdy et al. (2019); to Archaeoceti by Bianucci and Landini (2007) and Gingerich et al. (2022); and to Pelagiceti by Uhen (2008), Uhen (2010), Martinez-Cáceres and Muizon (2011), Uhen et al. (2011), Uhen (2013), Goldin et al. (2014), Marx et al. (2016), Buono et al. (2016), Berta (2017), Martínez-Cáceres et al. (2017), Smith et al. (2021), Antar et al. (2023), Bianucci et al. (2023), van Vliet et al. (2023) and van Vliet et al. (2024).

Synonyms
Synonymy list
YearName and author
1849Zeuglodontidae Bonaparte p. 618
1849Zeuglodon brachyspondylus Müller pp. pp. 20-33
1850Hydrarchidae Bonaparte p. 1
1850Hydrarchina Bonaparte p. 1
1851Zeuglodon trachyspondylus Koch p. 57
1852Pontogeneus Leidy
1852Pontogeneus priscus Leidy p. 52
1853Zeuglodontae Bronn p. 763
1853Zeuglodon brachyspondylus Bronn p. 770
1854Pontogeneus priscus Leidy p. 8
1867Basilosauridae Cope p. 144
1871Basilosauridae Gill p. 122
1872Basilosauridae Gill p. 93
1873Stegorhinidae Brandt p. 334
1873Basilosauridae Gill p. 27
1874Stegorhinidae Brandt p. 50
1876Zeuglodon wanklyni Seeley
1881Balaenoptera juddi Seeley p. 278
1883Pachycetus humilis Geinitz p. 105
1883Pachycetus humilis Van Beneden
1887Balaenoptera juddi Lydekker p. 41
1887Zeuglodontidae Lydekker p. 49
1889Zeuglodontidae Cope p. 876
1890Zeuglodontidae Cope p. 601
1890Zeuglodon brachyspondylus Cope p. 602
1890Zeuglodontidae Thompson p. 1
1891Zeuglodontidae Flower and Lydekker p. 89
1894Zeuglodontidae Zittel p. 167
1894Zeuglodon wanklyni Zittel p. 168
1898Zeuglodontidae Trouessart p. 1009
1898Zeuglodon brachyspondylus Trouessart p. 1010
1898Zeuglodon wanklyni Trouessart p. 1010
1898Balaenoptera juddi Trouessart p. 1077
1898Pachycetus humilis Trouessart p. 1084
1902Basilosauridae Hay p. 586
1902Basilosaurus brachyspondylus Hay p. 586
1903Zeuglodon wanklyni Stromer p. 87
1904Zeuglodontidae Case p. 4
1904Pontogeneus Palmer p. 558
1904Basilosauridae Trouessart p. 753
1904Basilosaurus brachyspondylus Trouessart p. 753
1904Basilosaurus wanklyni Trouessart p. 753
1904Balaenoptera juddi Trouessart p. 782
1904Pachycetus humilis Trouessart p. 784
1906Zeuglodontidae Andrews p. 234
1908Zeuglodon brachyspondylus Stromer p. 31
1908Zeuglodontidae Stromer p. 148
1914Zeuglodon wanklyni Abel p. 220
1914Zeuglodontidae Abel p. 220
1919Zeuglodontidae Abel p. 751
1921Zeuglodontidae Winge p. 7
1923Dorudontidae Miller
1923Basilosauridae Miller p. 40
1923Dorudontidae Miller p. 40
1925Zeuglodontidae Zittel p. 84
1925Zeuglodon brachyspondylus Zittel p. 85
1925Zeuglodon wanklyni Zittel p. 85
1928Basilosauridae Kellogg p. 32 figs. Table 1
1928Dorudontidae Kellogg p. 32 figs. Table 1
1930Basilosauridae Hay p. 569
1930Basilosaurus brachyspondylus Hay p. 570
1930Dorudontidae Hay p. 657
1931Zeuglodontidae Van Deinse p. 33
1936Zygorhiza juddi Kellogg
1936Basilosauridae Kellogg p. 13
1936Dorudontidae Kellogg p. 100
1936Pontogeneus brachyspondylus Kellogg p. 101
1936Zygorhiza wanklyni Kellogg p. 176
1936Pontogeneus Kellogg p. 248
1936Dorudontinae Slijper p. 540
1936Zeuglodontidae Slijper p. 540
1937Zeuglodontidae Benham p. 1
1940Pachycetus humilis Wetmore p. 72
1945Basilosauridae Simpson p. 100
1945Dorudontidae Simpson p. 100
1952Basilosauridae Sherman p. 99
1952Basilosaurus brachyspondylus Sherman p. 99
1954Prozeuglodontidae Moustafa p. 87
1970Zeuglodontidae Mchedlidze p. 50
1973Dorudontidae Keyes p. 389
1977Dorudontidae Whitmore and Sanders p. 305
1981Dorudontidae Thurmond and Jones p. 192
1981Basilosauridae Thurmond and Jones p. 193
1981Pontogeneus Thurmond and Jones p. 196
1981Pontogeneus brachyspondylus Thurmond and Jones p. 196
1982Dorudontinae Fordyce p. 422
1985Basilosauridae Barnes et al. p. 25
1985Dorudontinae Barnes et al. p. 25
1986Basilosauridae Hooker p. 214
1986Dorudontidae Hooker p. 214
1986Zygorhiza wanklyni Hooker p. 342
1986Pachycetus humilis Rothausen p. 517
1988Basilosauridae Carroll
1988Pontogeneus Carroll
1993Basilosauridae Benton p. 761
1994Basilosauridae Fordyce and Barnes p. 428 figs. Table 1
1994Dorudontinae Fordyce and Barnes p. 428
1995Basilosauridae Fordyce et al. p. 379
1995Dorudontinae Fordyce et al. p. 379
1996Basilosauridae Uhen p. 39
1996Dorudontinae Uhen p. 41
1997Basilosauridae Kohler and Fordyce p. 575
1997Dorudontinae Kohler and Fordyce p. 575
1997Basilosauridae McKenna and Bell p. 369
1997Dorudontidae McKenna and Bell p. 369
1997Pontogeneus McKenna and Bell p. 369
1998Basilosauridae Rice
1998Dorudontidae Rice
1998Dorudontinae Uhen p. 34
1998Pontogeneus Uhen p. 37
1998Pontogeneus brachyspondylus Uhen p. 37
1999Basilosauridae Bergqvist et al. p. 31
2001Dorudontidae Fordyce and de Muizon p. 104
2001Basilosauridae Fordyce and de Muizon p. 176
2001Basilosauridae Thewissen et al. p. 351 figs. Table 1
2001Basilosauridae Uhen and Gingerich p. 2
2001Dorudontinae Uhen and Gingerich p. 2
2002Basilosauridae Rice p. 231 figs. Table 1
2002Dorudontidae Rice p. 231 figs. Table 1
2002Pontogeneus Sepkoski
2002Dorudontinae Uhen p. 79
2002Pontogeneus Uhen p. 79
2002Pontogeneus brachyspondylus Uhen p. 79
2003Basilosauridae Fordyce p. 156 figs. Figure 9.1
2003Basilosauridae Geisler and Sanders p. 27
2004Basilosauridae Uhen pp. 11-12
2004Dorudontinae Uhen p. 12
2004Pontogeneus Uhen p. 12
2004Pontogeneus brachyspondylus Uhen p. 12
2004Basilosauridae van Vliet p. 143
2004Dorudontinae van Vliet p. 143
2004Pachycetus humilis van Vliet p. 143
2004Zygorhiza juddi van Vliet p. 143
2005Basilosauridae Gingerich p. 237 figs. Table 15.1
2006Basilosauridae Bouetel and Muizon p. 383
2006Dorudontinae Bouetel and Muizon p. 383
2007Basilosauridae Bianucci and Landini p. 45 figs. Table 2.1
2007Dorudontinae Bianucci and Landini p. 45 figs. Table 2.1
2007Basilosauridae Gingerich p. 366
2008Basilosauridae McLeod and Barnes p. 93
2008Dorudontinae McLeod and Barnes p. 93
2008Zygorhiza juddi McLeod and Barnes p. 93
2008Zygorhiza wanklyni McLeod and Barnes p. 93
2008Pontogeneus McLeod and Barnes p. 94
2008Pontogeneus brachyspondylus McLeod and Barnes p. 94
2008Basilosauridae Uhen p. 561
2008Dorudontinae Uhen p. 561
2008Basilosauridae Uhen p. 592 figs. Figure 4
2009Basilosauridae Fordyce and Roberts p. 553
2009Dorudontinae Fordyce and Roberts p. 553
2009Basilosauridae Rice p. 235 figs. Table 1
2009Dorudontinae Uhen p. 93
2010Basilosauridae Fitzgerald p. 370 figs. Table 1
2010Basilosauridae Uhen p. 206
2011Basilosauridae Martinez-Cáceres and Muizon
2011Pontogeneus Schouten p. 18
2011Pontogeneus brachyspondylus Schouten p. 18
2011Dorudontinae Uhen et al. p. 960
2011Basilosauridae Uhen et al. p. 966 figs. Figure 10
2012Basilosauridae Gingerich p. 313 figs. Figure 4
2012Basilosaurus wanklyni Kalmykov p. 179
2013Basilosauridae El-kheir et al. p. 462
2013Sulaimanitherium Malkani et al. p. 178 figs. Fig. 1
2013Sulaimanitherium dhanotri Malkani et al. p. 178 figs. Fig. 1
2013Basilosauridae Uhen
2014Pontogeneus Cooper et al. p. 91
2014Basilosauridae Goldin et al.
2015Basilosauridae Gao and Ni p. 156 figs. Table 1
2015Dorudontinae Gao and Ni p. 156 figs. Table 1
2015Basilosauridae Gingerich p. 164
2015Pontogeneus Gingerich p. 184
2015Pontogeneus brachyspondylus Gingerich p. 184
2015Pontogeneus priscus Gingerich p. 184
2015Basilosauridae Gingerich and Zouhri p. 278
2016Basilosauridae Buono et al. p. 299
2016Basilosauridae Marx et al. p. 101
2017Basilosauridae Berta p. 159
2017Pontogeneus Berta p. 159
2017Basilosauridae Martínez-Cáceres et al. p. 11
2019Basilosauridae Mahdy et al.
2019Dorudontinae Mahdy et al.
2019Sulaimanitherium Malkani p. 920
2019Sulaimanitherium dhanotri Malkani p. 920
2021Basilosauridae Smith et al.
2022Basilosauridae Gingerich et al. p. 12
2023Basilosauridae Antar et al. p. 2
2023Basilosauridae Bianucci et al.
2023Basilosauridae van Vliet et al. p. 7
2024Basilosauridae van Vliet et al. p. 6

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
subclassSynapsida
Therapsida()
infraorderCynodontia()
RankNameAuthor
Mammaliamorpha
Mammaliaformes
classMammalia
Cladotheria
Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
Eutheria()
Placentalia
Boreoeutheria
Laurasiatheria
Scrotifera
Euungulata
Artiodactylamorpha
Artiodactyla()
Whippomorpha
orderCetacea
Pelagiceti
familyBasilosauridae
familyBasilosauridae

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Fm. †Basilosauridae Cope 1867
show all | hide all
G. †Ancalecetus Gingerich and Uhen 1996
+
Ancalecetus simonsi Gingerich and Uhen 1996
Subfm. †Basilosaurinae Miller 1923
+
Invalid names: Zeuglodontinae Slijper 1936 [synonym]
G. †Basilosaurus Harlan 1834
+
Basilosaurus cetoides Owen 1839
+
Invalid names: Alabamornis gigantea Abel 1906 [synonym], Hydrarchos sillimani Wyman 1845 [synonym], Hydrargos sillimanii Koch 1845 [synonym], Zeuglodon ceti Wyman 1845 [synonym], Zeuglodon harlani De Kay 1842 [synonym], Zeuglodon macrospondylus Müller 1849 [synonym]
Basilosaurus isis Andrews 1904
Invalid names: Alabamornis Abel 1906 [synonym], Basilosaurus puschi Brandt 1873 [nomen dubium], Hydrarchos Koch 1845 [synonym], Hydrarchus Muller 1849 [synonym], Hydrargos Koch 1845 [synonym], Zeuglodon Owen 1839 [objective synonym], Zugodon Scudder 1882 [synonym], Zygodon Owen 1839 [synonym]
G. †Basiloterus Gingerich et al. 1997
+
Basiloterus hussaini Gingerich et al. 1997
G. †Chrysocetus Uhen and Gingerich 2001
+
Chrysocetus fouadassii Gingerich and Zouhri 2015
Chrysocetus healyorum Uhen and Gingerich 2001
G. †Cynthiacetus Uhen 2005
+
Cynthiacetus maxwelli Uhen 2005
Cynthiacetus peruvianus Martinez-Cáceres and Muizon 2011
G. †Dorudon Gibbes 1845
+
Dorudon atrox Andrews 1906
+
Invalid names: Dorudon intermedius Dart 1923 [synonym], Dorudon stromeri Kellogg 1928 [synonym]
Dorudon serratus Gibbes 1845
Invalid names: Prozeuglodon Andrews 1906 [synonym]
G. †Masracetus Gingerich 2007
+
Masracetus markgrafi Gingerich 2007
G. †Ocucajea Uhen et al. 2011
+
Ocucajea picklingi Uhen et al. 2011
Subfm. †Pachycetinae Gingerich et al. 2022
+
G. †Antaecetus Gingerich et al. 2022
+
Platyosphys aithai Gingerich and Zouhri 2015
G. †Pachycetus Van Beneden 1883
+
Pachycetus paulsonii Brandt 1873
+
Invalid names: Basilotritus uheni Goldin and Zvonok 2013 [synonym], Pachycetus robustus Van Beneden 1883 [synonym], Platyosphys einori Gritsenko 2001 [synonym], Zeuglodon rossicus Paulson in Brandt 1873 [synonym]
Pachycetus wardii Uhen 1999
Invalid names: Basilotritus Goldin and Zvonok 2013 [synonym], Platyosphys Kellogg 1936 [synonym]
G. †Perucetus Bianucci et al. 2023
+
Perucetus colossus Bianucci et al. 2023
G. †Saghacetus Gingerich 1992
+
Saghacetus osiris Dames 1894
+
Invalid names: Dorudon elliotsmithii Dart 1923 [synonym], Dorudon sensitivus Dart 1923 [synonym], Dorudon zitteli Stromer 1903 [synonym]
G. †Stromerius Gingerich 2007
+
Stromerius nidensis Gingerich 2007
G. †Supayacetus Uhen et al. 2011
+
Supayacetus muizoni Uhen et al. 2011
G. †Tutcetus Antar et al. 2023
+
Tutcetus rayanensis Antar et al. 2023
G. †Zygorhiza True 1908
+
Zygorhiza kochii Carus 1847
+
Invalid names: Zeuglodon brachyspondylum Abel 1914 [synonym], Zeuglodon hydrarchus Carus 1849 [synonym], Zygorhiza brachyspondylus True 1908 [synonym], Zygorhiza minor True 1908 [synonym]
Invalid names: Balaenoptera juddi Seeley 1881 [nomen dubium], Dorudontinae Miller 1923 [invalid subgroup], Hydrarchidae Bonaparte 1850 [synonym], Hydrarchina Bonaparte 1850 [synonym], Pachycetus humilis Van Beneden 1883 [invalid subgroup], Pontogeneus Leidy 1852 [nomen dubium], Pontogeneus brachyspondylus Müller 1849 [nomen dubium], Prozeuglodontidae Moustafa 1954 [synonym], Stegorhinidae Brandt 1873 [synonym], Stromeriinae Gingerich 2007 [empty], Sulaimanitherium Malkani et al. 2013 [nomen dubium], Zeuglodontidae Bonaparte 1849 [synonym]
Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
M. D. Uhen 2004Members of the Basilosauridae lack M3 and sacral vertebrae.. Basilosaurids have accessory denticles on their adult premolars and molars and have a very reduced hindlimb. Members of the other families of archaeocetes, Protocetidae, Remingtonocetidae, and Ambulocetidae retain M3, have sacral vertebrae, and have large hind limbs. They also lack accessory denticles on their adult cheek teeth.
M. D. Uhen 2008Basilosauridae are distinguished from all other archaeocetes by: the loss of M3, the presence of multiple accessory denticles on the cheek teeth, loss of the sacrum, reduction of the hind limb, and rotation of the pelvis (Uhen, 1998a).
M. D. Uhen 2013Members of the family Basilo- sauridae possess two upper molars rather than the three typical of other archaeocetes, as well as multiple acces- sory denticles on their cheek teeth. Most basilosaurids also have longer bodies than other archaeocetes due to an increased numbers of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. The thoracic vertebral count is 16 in Basilosaurus (Bebej et al., 2012), 20 in Cynthiacetus (Martínez-Cáceres and de Muizon, 2011), 17 in Dorudon (Uhen, 2004) and Zygorhiza (pers. obs. contra (Kellogg, 1936)). The complete thorac- ic count is unknown for Ancalecetus (probably 17, see Gin- gerich and Uhen, 1996 for discussion), Chrysocetus (at least 13), Masracetus, Ocucajea, Saghacetus (at least 15, pers. obs.). The thoracic vertebral count for Stromerius and Supayace- tus are unknown. The exception to this generalization is Basilotritus wardii, which has a thoracic vertebral count of 12 (Uhen, 2001), more similar to the thoracic count of protocetids than other basilosaurids (Uhen et al., 2011).
The lumbar vertebral count is 16 in Cynthiacetus (Martínez-Cáceres and de Muizon, 2011), 20 in Basilosau- rus (Gingerich et al., 1990) and Dorudon, (Uhen, 2004). The lumbar vertebral count is unknown for Basilotritus (Gol’din and Zvonok, 2013). All basilosaurids also have forelimbs modified into flippers. These forelimbs include: a fan shaped scapular blade; robust humerus, radius and ulna; elbow joints with limited rotation (which exclude the ability to pronate and supinate the forearm); and car- pal joints which also limit a wide range of motion. In basi- losaurids for which they are known (Basilosaurus (Lucas, 1900; Gingerich et al., 1990), Chrysocetus (Uhen and Gin- gerich, 2001), and Dorudon (Uhen, 2004)), the hindlimbs are greatly reduced and do not retain a bony connection to the vertebral column. The innominate of Basilotritus is not as reduced as those of other basilosaurids (see Uhen, 1999). See Uhen (1998, 2009) for thorough discussions of basilosaurid characteristics.
M. Martínez-Cáceres et al. 2017Basilosaurids are medium-to-large sized archaeocetes characterized principally by: 1) a at palate narrowing at the level of P4; 2) absence of M3; 3) anterior edge of the orbit dorsal to the level of P4 or P4/M1 diastema; 4) anterior process of the periotic strongly elliptical in cross-section; 5) triangular expan- sion on the posterolateral corner of the pars cochlearis; and 6) well developed ventrolateral tuberosity of the periotic.
P. D. Gingerich et al. 2022Basilosaurids are middle and late Eocene cetaceans that differ from earlier Pakicetidae, Ambu- locetidae, and Protocetidae in lacking upper third molars. They also differ in having well- developed pterygoid sinuses that separate left and right middle and inner ears acoustically, short cervical vertebrae, augmented numbers of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, forelimbs modified into flippers, and hind limbs reduced in size and no longer articulating with the ver- tebral column. Basilosaurids were the first whales to become fully aquatic.
Basilosaurids differ from later odontocetes and mysticetes in retaining a dental formula of 3.1.4.2 / 3.1.4.3 with recognizable upper and lower incisor, canine, premolar, and molar teeth. Skulls are not telescoped. There is no evidence of baleen. Basilosaurids retain forelimbs with a moveable elbow, and retain hind limbs with reduced but recognizable innominate, femur, tibia, fibula, ankle, and foot bones. Development of a tail fluke is questionable.